Situational Complexity
The Situational Complexity Index (SCI) is derived by using the formula:
SCI = DK(N-7)/R(R-1),
where D= (V-5)/(N-5), and
N = Total number of observations by M observers
V = Number of observations with 1 or more votes
K = Number of distinct influence connections among the observations displayed in the "Influence Tree" among a subset of observations
R = Number of observations included in the Influence Tree
D = Divergence or “spreadthink” of importance voting by the M observers
7 = The Miller magic number of “7 +- 2
5 = The Warfield “spreadthink” number
The largest SCI observed in forty years of applications is equal to 55, the minimum is 9, and the average is 34 (For more details See Table 25.1 of the book by Christakis with Bausch "How People Harvest their Collective Wisdom and Power.")
It has been conjectured that the SCI for the citizens of Athens deliberating in their ancient Athenian Agora was approximately equal to 3. Comparing the Athenian SCI to the average SCI of issues confronting citizens in the contemporary Agoras of the global village, we see that we are dealing today with issues at least ten times more complicated. This is why we need to apply Dialogic Design Science to make progress in resolving complex contemporary issues in Co-Laboratories of Democracy.
